Love Positive Counseling
  • Home
  • Counseling
    • Polyamory Support Group
    • Expressive Arts LGBTQ Teens Group
    • Transgender Support Group
  • Meet the Team
  • Appointments
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact

Can we just call it marriage?

6/28/2015

1 Comment

 
Marriage Equality: Love is Tender & Knows no Gender
Photo credit: Purple Sherbet Photography
Friday June 26, 2015 is a historic day in American History. Just as San Francisco and New York City are beginning their LGBTQ Pride celebrations, The Supreme Court of The United States of America ruled that state marriage bans are unconstitutional and everyone has a right to marry the person they love, regardless of gender. 

For decades, the language associated with the LBG fight for equal rights has transformed from Gay Marriage and Same-Sex Marriage to Marriage Equality. Many are still using the term “same-sex marriage” but I’d like to see everyone strike that language from your vocabulary. Why? Let me explain…

Transgender and gender-queer people have been excluded from the freedom to marry the person they love simply because their gender doesn’t match their legal documents. Heterosexual couples were denied the right to marry simply because our federal government does not yet have a process for declaring gender, especially a gender outside the gender binary. The terms “Gay Marriage” and “Same-Sex Marriage” suggest a binary gender construct - Men with Men and Women with Women. It erases the multitude of combinations between biology, psychology, and spirituality that make up Gender. 

If you want to be inclusive and welcoming to all persons, regardless of gender, when discussing this monumental decision, please choose to use “Marriage Equality” because that’s really what this decision means. Everyone, regardless of sex or gender can marry and have the right to the privileges and protections granted to married couples in America.

Thankfully many of our nation’s leaders understand the far reaching impact of this decision:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” – Kennedy, writing for the majority

“Marriage responds to the universal fear that a lonely person might call out only to find no one there. It offers the hope of companionship and understanding and assurance that while both still live there will be someone to care for the other.” – Kennedy, writing for the majority

"There's so much more work to be done to extend the full promise of America to every American. But today, we can say in no uncertain terms that we've made our union a little more perfect." — President Barack Obama.

"This decision recognizes the fundamental truth that our love is all equal. Today is a great day for America. #LoveWins" — Tweet from first lady Michelle Obama.

"So while we celebrate the progress won today, we must stand firm in our conviction to keep moving forward. For too many LGBT Americans who are subjected to discriminatory laws, true equality is still just out of reach." — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democratic presidential contender.

"This decision is about creating a future where loving, committed families are able to live with dignity. This is about freedom. This is about love. This is transformative, not only for LGBT families, but for America." — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D.-Calif.

"Today's ruling strikes a blow to inequality and discrimination throughout the nation, and that's good for Americans' mental health." — Renee Binder, president of the American Psychiatric Association, which in 1973 removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.


The tide is turning for LGBTQ persons in this nation, in our culture. I look forward to the day when no one has to fear being assaulted, discriminated, degraded, or discarded because of who they are or who they love. I fear for the LGBTQ youth and adults who take this opportunity to live and love authentically and find themselves facing abandonment from their friends and family, discrimination from their jobs and housing, and assault from strangers wherever they go. June 26th, 2015 is a monumental day in American History, but the fight for equal rights and protection under the law and cultural acceptance continues. 

1 Comment

Surviving vs. Thriving - What’s the difference?

6/1/2015

0 Comments

 
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. - Maya Angelou
Are you thriving?
Here in Georgia, Summer has officially arrived. The farmer’s markets are brimming with fresh produce from nearby fields, the earliest crops of the season. Temperatures are climbing steadily into the 80s every day. Afternoon showers nourish thirsty living beings. Summer is the season of abundance. Mother Nature is Thriving in all of her glory. 

We have survived the cold, dreary winter. The first budding flowers and fresh breezes of spring delight our senses, waking us from spiritual hibernation. Now the warmth of summer brings a burst of nourishment for the soul. 

This cycle of seasons brings to mind a question I often ask of friends and clients who are struggling to find inner peace and happiness: Are you Surviving or Thriving? 

We have just one life to live. Do you want to spend it trudging through rush hour traffic, fumbling away at a job you dislike, fighting the crowds to grab dinner before settling onto the couch for a long evening of mind-numbing reality TV (or video games) before passing out in the wee hours of the morning just to get up and do it all over again? Or… Would you rather enjoy every moment of your life, spending time with the people and activities that bring you joy? 

Take a moment to reflect on of your life over the past month. 

Is your life sapping your motivation?
Is your life burdened by the needs of others?
Is your life dull and repetitive?

or…

Is your life nourishing to your heart and soul?
Is your life brimming with growth, mental and emotional?
Is your life vibrant with personal meaning?

Survival is meeting the bare necessities to keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your bank account in the black. 
Thriving is engaging with every moment, driven by passion and intrigue.

Are you ready to thrive?

0 Comments

    Anna Baxter

    A counselor passionate about love, communication, and happiness for all. I feel called to help people find internal and external peace by living and loving more authentically.

    verified by Psychology Today

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    August 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance And Commitment Therapy
    Communication
    Counseling
    Equality
    Events
    Love
    Relationship
    Self Esteem
    Self-esteem
    Stigma
    Transgender

    RSS Feed

Content © 2021 Anna Baxter   |   700 Old Roswell Lakes Pkwy, Ste 300, Roswell, GA
anna@lovepositivecounseling.com   |   678-210-9907  |  fax: 404-891-5746
verified by Psychology Today
Contact  |  About  |  Blog
Design © 2015 Tiny Bear Designs